Overlay Mosaic Crochet - overview

Overlay Mosaic crochet is a fun way to create really interesting shapes & texture in a crochet project, however it can be confusing to read the graph charts. My goal is to help this all make sense to even beginning crocheters, however it does help if you have some experience with recognizing stitches and stitching terms.

A bit about what mosaic crochet is: It usually consists of 2 types of stitches – either a back loop sc, or a front loop dc directly below the stitch you would normally work into but 2 rows down into the same color. All the odd rows are Color B & the even rows are Color A. (Some designs include mid-row color changes & the occasional special stitch, which are usually explained in the instructions.) Doing a blsc reveals the color from the previous row & doing an fldc stitch will cover (hide) the color in the previous row. This technique creates areas of the background in one color as well as the featured design in the other color. You will have to fasten off after every row, so at the end, you will have that “bonus fringe” on both sides of the finished project. Each new row is always started on the right side so that you’re looking at the front of your work. In my mosaic graph charts, wherever there is an empty square, (no matter what color that square is on the chart) you do a back loop sc into the stitch. If the square has an X, you do a front loop dc directly below the stitch, but 2 rows down, which is usually the same color as what is on your hook. Sc’s are always in the back loop (other than the starting & ending sc), and the dc’s are always in the front loop 2 rows down. So X = DC & blank square = SC. That’s it in a nutshell!

I generally use medium weight #4 yarn with a 5mm or 5.5mm hook, which is usually specified in the pattern listings and in the pattern itself. You can use other yarn thicknesses & hook sizes, keeping in mind that the finished size will change.

Most of my patterns include full written row-by-row instructions, (unless otherwise noted in the listing), as well as fully colorized & marked graph charts at the end of the PDF. Charts are great to work from, or at least reference when going off of written instructions. If you work from the chart, it is very handy to have a ruler or paper strip to place above the row you are working. My charts are a little different from others in that, not only is the design color coded on the charts, but also the stitches that will be covered or hidden by the next row are in light blue (A rows) or light grey (B rows), which are where you can make color changes mid-row if needed. As far as what stitch to use in each square just focus on whether there is an X in the square (or any special stitch symbols) or if the square is blank. There is also a legend included for the chart to indicate what each color square corresponds to & what any special stitch symbols mean.

The main cause of confusion for mosaic patterns is getting the colors in the graph squares confused with what actual stitch you are supposed to do. You might confuse seeing the main color in the square & think those all need fldc’s, when actually the color itself does not determine the stitch. Remember that, no matter what color the square is, if it has an X, do a fldc, and if the square is empty, do blsc. And always be sure to COUNT! COUNT! COUNT!!

Helpful Hints & Tips

·        Beginning & ending SC's can hide – they are there to lock in the next row’s color but not part of the actual design. Be sure to not miss that starting SC every new row, and don’t miss the last one either.

·        Remember to ALWAYS start each row on the front side, typically on the right, unless you are left handed and want to work the chart from the left to right, which should work, in theory.

·        On chart, focus on whether there's an X or blank - don't get confused by color of square

·        Blsc’s are always in the back loop (hence the name) / fldc’s are always in the front loop 2 rows down

·        Front loops of sc's can hide with doing fldc’s from 2 rows up - lay work flat & count from end to help

·        Count! Count! Count! - especially first few rows when getting started. If you find that you are off, check to be sure you didn’t skip a buried stitch, or you didn’t do 2 stitches into one loop (this can happen often!)

·        If you forget which row you are on, count the ending tails on the Left side (remember to not include the beginning tail from the chain row)

·        Before cutting yarn at end of row, double check that the number of X's in that row on the chart to match up to your fldc stitches you just did. Counting stitches is your friend!

·        Leave a 3-4" tail of yarn at end of row in case you need to frog out & redo that row. (you will usually notice mistakes when you are 2-4 rows above – at least I do!)

 Yarn type/yardages
Any type of yarn is fine. I generally use weight 4, with a 5mm or 5.5mm hook. I usually have a range of yardage that the pattern will need, however keep in mind this can vary based on tension and type of yarn. It’s always best to get a little extra yarn just in case.

Stitch Abbreviations (basic stitches):
ch = chain
st = stitch
sc = single crochet
blsc = back loop sc
fldc = front loop double crochet (always in 2 rows down,
        into front loop of same color)
fo = fasten off

I sometimes use special stitches to create angles or other design elements, which I will list in the stitches for that design. I also have a Special Stitches video of the ones I tend to use the most. (see playlist QR code above)

Technique for color changes within a row:
To switch to a 2nd color mid-row, start out in the main A or B color, and a few stitches before the new color section, secure the beginning tail of the 2nd color with a few blsc stitches when possible. Normally I like to either secure my beginning tail of the new color by stitching over it with blsc’s, or tie the beginning tail to one of the covered blsc’s from the prev row, a couple stitches back from where I’ll need them. To transition from one color to the next, during the A rows, use a light blue square on the chart, when possible, as those will be hidden by fldc’s in the next row. (for B rows, use a light grey square) To make the switch during a blsc, I like to insert my hook into the back loop and then yarn over with the new color to finish out the stitch. Carry the main A color along by stitching over it with blsc’s or carry it behind fldc’s as you will need to switch back at some point in that row. In areas where the starting & ending points for the 2nd colors aren’t very far away (like 10 or less stitches apart), the 2nd color for those rows can be carried up to each corresponding row rather than cutting the yarn at the end of the row, however you will still want to cut the main A & B colors at the end of each row, as usual for overlay mosaic. On occasion, you will need to use what I call the “clean switch” technique when there is no fldc in the next row to hide the transition. You basically do the last stitch of one color until you have 2 loops remaining on your hook, and then yarn over with the new color. Check out my video for color switching help, and scroll to around 14:20 to get to the clean switch technique.